Only 1 in 2 workers has skills meeting market needs, survey finds

Only one in two Greek workers has skills that correspond to market needs, with 77 percent of employers saying they have difficulties finding the right employees, according to a study carried out by the Greek office of Ernst & Young, the Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB) and Endeavor Greece.

The state of affairs is largely attributed to the structure of the Greek education system, which does little to encourage vocational studies aimed at fulfilling the needs of the economy.

Two out of five Greek students end up following three basic study directions, according to the study: 13 percent choose the humanities, 12 percent go for social sciences and another 12 percent for educational sciences.

Overall 53 percent of all students choose areas of study and sectors that do not contribute toward the country's prospects for growth, researchers found.

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